Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. The Review of Moſes Choice.
WE have finiſhed the Choice of Moſes, the argument upon which Moſes went in his Choice, and now we are come to this 26. verſe, where we have the Review of Moſes choice, looking back to ſee what he had choſen, to the conſequent of it. He ſees that while he joyns himſelf with the people of God, and ſuffers affliction, he is like to meet with nothing but reproach and ſcorn for his labor; this he ſees, & yet he repents not: his judgement ſtill is not onelyonly for his choice, but he does eſteem of it highly, as accounting that reproach of Chriſt that he was to ſuffer, great riches; and the argument that here he hath, is the greatneſs of the recompence of the reward, He had an eye unto the recompence of the reward.
[Eſteeming the reproach of Chriſt:] Reproach is taken either materially, or formally; materially, ſo it may be taken for the affliction that he did endure with Gods people, that outward mean wretched condition that he was like to ſuffer with the people of God, this was the matter of the reproach. Or otherwiſe formally, the ſcorn, contempt, reviling, railing, and all the evil that ſhould be ſpoken of him when he had left the Court, and joyned himſelf with Gods people; and this formal kinde of reproach is that which is eſpecially meant.
[The reproach of Chriſt:] How could that reproach Queſt.that Moſes ſuffered, be the reproach of Chriſt? for Chriſt was not then born, it was a long time after before Chriſt came into the world.
Chriſt was preſent unto Moſes by the eye of Anſw.faith, though he were not yet come into the world, Chriſt is the ſame to day, yeſterday, and for ever; he was the ſame to the Patriarchs and Prophets, that he is to us.
[Eſteeming the reproach of Chriſt greater riches then the treaſures of Egypt] Moſes was not onelyonly content to ſuffer patiently the reproach of Chriſt, but he counted it his glory, his riches, greater riches then the Treaſures of Egypt. Egypt was a rich countrey, and full of treaſures; and therefore in Pſal. 87. Egypt is called by the name of Rahab, and the reaſon is, becauſe of the pride, and power, and inſolency of Egypt; becauſe Egypt was a fruitful rich place, therefore they had a great deal of ſtrength, and power, and were lift up with pride; So Iſa. 51. 9. vide Hieronym. upon the place. The King of Egypt is called a Dragon in the waters: and the chief horſes that Solomon had, in 2 Chron. 9. they came out of Egypt; and the Whore in the Proverbs, had her fine linen out of Egypt. Egypt was a very fruitful Prov. 7. 16Country, Gen. 13. 9. The fruitfulneſs of that place to which Lot turned aſide, is deſcribed to be the garden of the Lord, like the Land of Egypt: it is called by many Horreum caeterarum regionum, the Granary of other Countreys: hence Abraham, when famine was in Canaan, went into Egypt; and after, Jacob in time of famine ſent his ſons into Egypt; it is ſaid of it, that they ſow almoſt every monethmonth. And being ſuch a flouriſhing place, all Gen. 13.kinde of learning was there; and therefore in 1 King. 4. 30. where the greatneſs of Solomons wiſdom is ſet out, it is ſaid, it excelled the wiſdom of Egypt. In Egypt was treaſures of riches, and treaſures of ſtrength, treaſures of the riches of the earth, and treaſures of merchandize, and treaſures of learning, and yet Moſes eſteemed the reproach of Chriſt, greater riches then all the treaſures of Egypt. Now the points that ariſe from theſe words, are theſe:
Firſt, that the people of God have been, and uſually 1.are a people under reproach.
Secondly, the reproach of Gods people is the reproach of Chriſt.2.
Thirdly, a gracious heart is not only willing to bear reproach when God calls unto it, but in the cauſe of 3.Chriſt, triumphs and rejoyces in that reproach it ſuffers.
Fourthly, the ſtrong argument that moves Gods people thus to do, is the eye that they have unto the 4.recompence of the reward. To begin with the firſt, and that is this: